Rio 2016: William Fox-Pitt bemoans a lack of luck after frustrating day for Team GB equestrian hopefuls

France claimed a dramatic gold medal triumph with Germany finishing second and Australia third

William Fox-Pitt blamed bad luck on Britain's unfortunate day (Getty)

William Fox-Pitt bemoaned a lack of luck after Great Britain's eventers failed to win an Olympic team medal for the first time since the Atlanta Games 20 years ago.

The British quartet of Fox-Pitt, Pippa Funnell, Kitty King and Gemma Tattersall responded to Monday's collective cross-country misery that destroyed medal hopes by delivering strong showjumping displays.

Fox-Pitt, Funnell and King all went clear - Tattersall left the fences up, but had four time penalties with Quicklook V - which meant Britain climbed four places up the leaderboard to finish fifth.

But their run of four successive Olympics with a team medal ended in long-serving team manager Yogi Breisner's final competition at the helm, as France claimed a dramatic gold medal triumph, with London 2012 winners Germany finishing second and Australia third.

"It was really great to finish on a good note after the disappointment of Monday," said Fox-Pitt, who made the top-25 individual final on Chilli Morning, but his team-mates all missed out.

"With a bit more luck, we would have been up there. We just didn't have that luck with us.

"It is a very up and down sport, and we had a down day yesterday. It was very, very expensive and very disappointing.

"But it is very exciting for the future with the young horses we have in what is a very strong team. Maybe it is going to be Tokyo 2020 for us. I keep on dreaming.

"You need that bit of luck on the day, and we didn't have it." Britain were left to rue cross-country run-outs - they bring an automatic 20 penalties - for all four British riders, as they ended up way off the medal pace.

Funnell added: "I know we were disappointed with Monday, but we all picked ourselves up. We are all in it together and here for each other.

"The overriding thing is we are gutted that we didn't deliver better for Yogi, because he has put so much into the teams all these years, and it is so sad for his last one that it got away.

"For sure, there are going to be critics and we can go home and we can think about the 'what ifs?' But I still think people have to be impressed with how the younger horses went.

"We were beating ourselves up about it last night, there is no doubt about it.

"But we can't stew on it too long. When we look at the (cross-country) rounds back on the video, I actually think our rounds were a lot better than some of the rounds that were clear."

France won team gold for only the second time in Olympic history, with just 6.3 penalties separating the top three teams.

New Zealand finished fourth, but it would have been gold had twice Olympic individual champion Mark Todd had four faults or less on Leonidas II, yet they knocked four fences down, and hopes were shattered. Had Todd delivered the goods, it would have been his seventh Olympic medal and made him New Zealand's most decorated Olympian in any sport.

Then last-to-go Chris Burton knew a clear round aboard Santano II would secure gold for Australia at France's expense, but two fences down ended the dream and France triumphed.